News Release

Hwy 371 Backus to Hackensack 2018 construction project open house set for March 20

ST. CLOUD, Minn. – Backus and Hackensack area businesses and residents are invited to attend an open house about a major road project that will reconstruct Hwy 371 between Backus and Hackensack in 2018. Hwy 371 will be closed to through traffic for several weeks during the project.

The public open house will be held Tuesday, March 20, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Cass County Land Department building, 218 Washburn Ave., in Backus.

Open house attendees will be able to learn details about the project including the work to be performed, schedule, traffic plans and more. A project layout will be on display, and MnDOT staff will be available to answer questions and take comments on the project. No presentation is planned, and guests are invited to arrive any time.

“We’ll need to close the road so crews can complete the job as quickly as possible, and still deliver the highest quality product possible,” said Matt Indihar, MnDOT Project Manager. “This open house is a great opportunity for everyone to get specific questions answered, especially those who live within the work zone.”

The project will begin in August, and be completed in October. The detour will begin after the Labor Day holiday weekend in September.

The project will reconstruct Hwy 371 between Hwy 87 in Backus and Cass County Road 40 in Hackensack, replace underground pipes and make other improvements while Hwy 371 is closed. When complete, the project will result in a smoother ride with a long-life pavement along 7.5 miles of Hwy 371, extend the life of the roadway and improve drainage in the area.

To request an ASL or foreign language interpreter, call 651-366-4720. To request other reasonable accommodations, call 651-366-4718; the Minnesota Relay service toll-free at 1-800-627-3529 (TTY, Voice or ASCII) or 711, or email your request to adarequest.dot@state.mn.us.